U.S. Champ Final: Who else?!

4/13/2015 – A cheeky title, playing on last year's report. The favorites of the tournament in both sections won the tournament in the last round, and with few difficulties. Krush obtained an easy draw against Nemcova. She could have even pushed a slightly better endgame, but the draw guaranteed her first place. In the Open, Onischuk blundered, and Nakamura wrapped up the tournament.

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The 2015 U.S. Championship is an elite national championship event, featuring 12 of the strongest chess players in America. Over the course of eleven rounds, these competitors will battle for $175,000 in prize money, qualification intoa the World Championship cycle, and the coveted title of 2015 U.S. Champion.

Tony Rich, chief arbiter, with one of the main sponsors, Jeanne Sinquefield

So, Wesley 1-0 Troff, Kayden
What a beautiful rebound by Wesley So. After forfeiting his game he won his last two rounds, once against Kamsky and finally against Troff. Black's preparation was a little sketchy, as he found himself down a pawn in a Grunfeld, which seems normal nowadays, but his compensation was nowhere to be found. So easily took a full point and cilnched third place in the tournament.

Kamsky finished tied for fifth, a far cry from defending his U.S. Championship

Shankland, Samuel ½-½ Akobian, Varuzhan
Shankland's deep opening preparation gave him a better position from the opening. The ensuing rook endgame was certainly better for white, but somehow Akobian had no problems holding the endgame. It feels like Shankland could have tortured Akobian for a longer time, but that was not the case and Akobian escaped with a relatively easy draw.

Sevian, Sam 1-0 Holt, Conrad
What a game! Sevian missed an absolutely fantastic way of winning in Holt's pet French line. After missing 27. Nf5!! Black got the initiative since White's attack didn't crash through fast enough. Black's passed b-pawn was a serious advantage which gave him a winning endgame. However, the win was not trivial as Black's king was quite exposed. In a strange turn of events, Holt flagged in what was probably a winning position.

Nakamura, Hikaru 1-0 Onischuk, Alexander

Who else?! 2015 U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura showed by far the most solid chess

Ni, Viktorija 1-0 Virkud, Apurva
Ni favored a slow Reti position in which she attacked on the kingside, very reminiscent of a King's Indian Defense. Virkud never found counterplay on the queenside, even though she should have blasted open that side as soon as possible. Black's defense was in the long run impossible, and Ni crashed through the kingside with typical sacrifices and won without problems. An excellent finish for an already excellent tournament for Ni, who clinched third.

WCM Apurva Virkud: the wildcards did not have a strong event – they finished in the last spots

Paikidze, Nazi ½-½ Foisor, Sabina
In a must-win-game, considering that in best case scenario Nemcova would win Krush and with a win Paikidze would tie with the winners, the new addition to the championsihp decidided to play an exchange Slav with no winning chances at all. Foisor had no problems holding a draw.

Krush, Irina ½-½ Nemcova, Katerina
White just needed a draw to win the tournament, and she did exactly that. Krush traded all the pieces, got a slightly better endgame and she forced a draw in a minimally slightly better position, clinching her seventh U.S. Women's Chess Championship.

Irina Krush, seven times U.S. Women's Champion

Goletiani, Rusudan ½-½ Yu, Jennifer
Goletiani can consider herself lucky for surviving a bad opening decision, after which Black had a strong attack in every sector of the board. Somehow, Yu blundered, and she can consider herself lucky to have survived the combined action of White's major pieces and her powerful bishop on b2. The draw seemed to be a fair result in the resulting endgame.

Wang, Annie 1-0 Melekhina, Alisa
In a complicated Benko gambit, Melekhina blundered a piece and that was the end of the game.

A rough event for Alisa, who will be flying to China in the next few days
to represent the U.S.A in the World Women's Team Championship.

Standings

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Commentary provided for the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis by Josh Friedel:

Joshua Friedel

Josh was born in 1986 in New Hampshire, USA and is currently living in Wisconsin. He obtained his international master title in 2005 and his grandmaster in 2008. He has participated in six US Championships, including a tie for fourth in 2008. Major Open tournament victories include: the 2003 Eastern Open, 2005 Berkeley Masters, 2008 National Open, 2009 Edmonton International, 2009 North American Open, 2010 Saint Louis Open, 2010 American Open, 2013 Chicago Open.

Alejandro RamirezGrandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

See also

9/14/2017 – The Southwest Open is an annual held in Dallas, Texas, over Labor Day weekend (USA). This year for the first time, and International section took place with around 30 strong Masters, IMs and GMs. The young American and newly minted Grandmaster Ruifeng Li was among them, and ended up in shared first with Polish GM Kamil Dragun, who is studying in Texas. Ruifeng sent us this personal account of his exploits. | Photos: James Stallings (Below: WIM Mariam Danelia and unknown photo-bomber)

See also

4/11/2017 – He was recognized as the “Dean of American Chess” – in honor of his promotion of and many contributions to the game. During the 2017 US Championship, a title he had himself won 63 years earlier, this giant of chess, considered one of America's "most dangerous players", died of respiratory failure. He worked for decades for the United States Chess Federation and for its magazine Chess Life. There we find a touching eulogy.

Video

On this 60 mins video we are going to concentrate on a simple, very solid idea in the main line Scandinavian, which even Magnus Carlsen has used to win games. Black focusses on making his life easy in the opening and forces White to work very hard to get advantage – but it is doubtful if White can get an advantage. Club players are always on the lookout for effective, time-saving solutions and here we have just that. Accompany FIDE Senior Trainer and IM Andrew Martin on this 60 mins video. You can learn a new opening system in 60 mins and start to play it with confidence on the very same day!

Discuss

"The 2015 U.S. Championship is an elite national championship event, featuring 12 of the strongest chess players in America."
Misleading Description copied from CCSCSL website.
Kayden Troff (US Junior route), Conrad Holt (US Open route), Samuel Sevian (Wildcard preference based on Club and KCF) do not belong to Top 12.
Only Top 9 Player represented.
Author should know better since he belong to Top 12 but not invited.
Ramirez (author), Lenderman (last year Tied 1st), Stripunsky make Top 12.
Here Top 12 players in US.
http://www.uschess.org/component/option,com_top_players/Itemid,371?op=list&month=1503&f=usa&l=R:Top%20Overall&h=Overall

Cyric Renner 4/14/2015 07:37

I think Kamsky has lot interest in Chess. I really do. Seems to have put on quite a bit of weight too, and where did he suddenly get all that hair !

Rfield 4/14/2015 03:54

Is Mr. G. Kamsky going on chess retirement or getting closer to it? On the other hand is Mr. W. So in a rush to dislodge the current world chess champion or too conscious of maintaining its rating points?

prail 4/13/2015 04:47

@johnmk I agree that it's not helpful to claim a move is nonsense. I find Timur's unorthodox moves to be inventive and, of course, entertaining. Because of our (spectators) reliance on chess engines we may be quick to claim moves are insane, but picture yourself at the board having to deal with his shocking moves. You would go down in flames because you don't have your engine.

KrushonIrina 4/13/2015 04:15

Some finished on a high note.
Some finished on a low note.

And Wesley is clearly finished with notes.

johnmk 4/13/2015 03:04

Once again Friedel is taking editorial license, and giving in to the urge to pass judgement proclaiming Timur Gareev's move 9 Ra3 "complete nonsense". The engines do not think that 9 Ra3 is "nonsense", they assign Black has a 1/2 point advantage after that move. 11 b4 does look like a blunder. But characterizing someone's play as "insane" is not the most objective analysis.